Media releases 2026

January 2026

• Ōhope groundwater contamination
• Pāpāmoa Hills Regional Park closed following multiple landslips
• Exclusion Zone in place around Mauao

February 2026

• Mapping a bright future
• Alternative walking track at Pāpāmoa Hills on track to open in March
• Bay of Plenty Regional Council holds consultation for Annual Plan 2026/27 and Long Term Plan Amendment

March 2026

• Upcoming desilting works at Ford Road mooring basin
• From paddock to salt marsh: Helping nature make a comeback
• Wallaby elimination operation success
• Community celebrates environmental restoration of the Kopeopeo Canal
• Commissioning ceremony marks return of Waihī wetland

April 2026

• No excuse for paddleboarders with no lifejacket
• Partial re-opening of Papamoa Hills Cultural Heritage Regional Park following weather related damage
• Consultation closes on Regional Council’s Annual Plan 2026/27 and Long Term Plan Amendment
• Whatever the Weather: Protecting Bay of Plenty Flood Defences
• Decades of Care at Lake Okareka

May 2026

• Relationships remain critical as significant local government changes announced